dreams_upon_ramsgatefandomcom-20200214-history
Infusion
Infusion This is the fundamental Art of nocker craft, and most nockers are conversant with its principles. At its lowest levels, Infusion strengthens and alters chimerical materials, making them easier for nockers to manipulate and work with. At its highest levels, this Art is an act of creation in its truest sense. Infusion is based in part on the premise that there are four basic types of chimera: Incidental, Dreamed, crafted, and forged. Incidental chimera are flimsy and difficult to work with in their native forms. Dreamed chimera are somewhat hardier, but still do not stand up to most daily abuses. Crafted chimera are shaped through traditional handiwork (with the Crafts skill), and the changeling must spend a point of Glamour to manipulate a crafted chimera. Only nockers, boggans, and some eshu have much skill in the crafting aspect of Infusion. Forged chimera are the most resilient of chimerical items, and only nockers (and some sidhe of House Dougal) with this Art may create them. Nockers guard this Art jealously, though a few boggans practice it at its lower levels. Nockers claim that boggans stole their knowledge, which may explain something of their enmity towards boggans. Some sidhe of House Dougal have also gained some learning of this Art. Attribute: Intelligence · Harden This cantrip allows a nocker to "harden" inanimate, Incidental chimera into a form that can be forged or crafted. System: This cantrip costs one point of Glamour (in addition to any other Glamour needed for casting) to use. The chimerical object to be affected determines the nature of the Realm. Fae 5 (Dweomer of Glamour) can be used as a secondary Realm but not as the solitary Realm. An Incidental chimera that has had this cantrip successfully cast upon it can be crafted or forged as if it were a Dreamed chimera. The number of successes determines the duration of the cantrip. Obviously, at least two successes are needed for this cantrip to be of much use. * 1 success -- One hour * 2 successes -- One day * 3 successes -- One week * 4 successes -- One month * 5 successes -- Permanent ·· Toughen (power has been modified for balance &/or setting) This allows a nocker to toughen any chimerical material, making it more resistant to damage and Banality. System: The nature of the chimerical object to be affected determines the Realm needed for casting this cantrip. Any chimerical substance affected by this cantrip gains an additional Health level for every two successes earned by the casting of the cantrip. In addition, the difficulty of all rolls for resisting Banality are reduced by one for every two successes gained. Multiple castings are not cumulative. ··· FUBAR Generation This cantrip allows a nocker to spontaneously create FUBARs and bend them to his will. FUBARs are a necessity for any nocker experiments that are created with or powered by electricity or magnetism. It is unknown whether the FUBARs are actually created by the use of this cantrip or if they are summoned by its casting. System: The Realm Fae 5 (Dweomer of Glamour) must always be used when casting this cantrip. A nocker can trap a generated FUBAR in a metal hoop with an Intelligence + Gematria roll, difficulty of the FUBAR's Glamour rating. The number of successes determines the number of Glamour points the FUBAR has. ···· Animantis (power has been modified for balance &/or setting) Golems are the automated servitors of nockers, and most serve and accompany their creators willingly. Like all chimera, golems may range widely in power, size, and appearance. The only constraints on a golem's features or capabilities are a nocker's talent, materials, and imagination. Most golems have a mechanical appearance, though a nocker may use Phantom Shadows (Legerdemain 5) to make a golem more natural in appearance. System: The Realm Fae 5 (Dweomer of Glamour) must always be used when casting this cantrip. Golem creation is an arduous process. (Extended Intelligence + Gematria and Craft rolls, difficulty 7, 10 successes required in each.) Once a nocker has built her golem's body, she must hook it up to a FUBAR-powered generator. Such a golem is essentially mindless, and follows only basic commands. However, if the nocker later casts the Gilgul cantrip on the golem to give it true sentience, it gains a measure of intelligence. A botched cantrip roll means the animation process causes physical damage to the golem, and the nocker must repair it before the cantrip roll is repeated. This is the cantrip used for creating and activating Golems. See the Golem Background for mechanics of Golems that your character may create and control. ····· Gilgul (power has been modified for balance &/or setting) (Kithbook: Nockers, pg. 58) Gilgul is the Hebrew term for "transmigration of souls," "reincarnation," or "metempsychosis." For nockers, it is the ultimate act of creation, for it is the process by which sentient life is created. Bestowing the breath of life involves properties of the strange moand and demands a great deal of time and equipment. This cantrip is typically used to make non-sentient chimera sentient, and is often used to bring golems to life. Nockers who wish to practice this cantrip legally must obtain permission from the Grand Bes Din. System: When granting sentience to a golem, the Realm Fae 5 (Dweomer of Glamour) must always be used. When using this cantrip on chimera, the nature of the chimera determines the Realm used, though Fae 5 can be used as a secondary Realm. Among the chimerical tools needed to bestow chimerical life is a rod of true silver and a delta-wave helmet. Both are used to collect strange monads, and to imprint the nocker's brain patterns on his creation. If the cantrip is successful, the player makes an Intelligence + Gematria roll (difficulty 7). If both rolls succeed, congratulations -- it's a living, thinking chimera. Cigars for everyone! Sentient golems are typically dimwitted, but some are remarkably intelligent. For each success achieved on the Gematria roll, the golem gains one Attribute pointed, assigned to Perception, Intelligence, or Wits by the nocker's player. The creature is friendly and loyal to its creator, and learns fundamental skills quickly. If the cantrip roll succeeds, but the Intelligence + Gematria roll fails, no points are allocated to the golem's Mental Attributes. The creature is a blithering idiot. It may be less useful than it was before, if it was animated previously. The chimera can't even follow simple instructions, but is still alive and aware, and loves its master like a half-witted dog would. Creating a fool is one of the risks of creating life, and puts the nocker in the mortal dilemma of caring for his child or extinguishing its life (ad hoping that the Bes Din never gets word of it). If the player botches one or both rolls, the golem gains sentience, but the Gilgul goes horribly awry; the golem is mentally unstable and antisocial. (The Storyteller rolls the character's Intelligence + Gematria secretly, and assigns points to the golem's Mental Attributes. If the Storyteller rolls no successes for Attributes, the creature is a mindless animal.) The creator of a rebellious or out-of-control golem may have to destroy her child to prevent a bloody rampage.